Impact of Aircraft Wake Vortex on Unmanned Aerial Systems near Powerlines

The use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) has been expanding beyond military usage to a wide range of civil applications. One such application that reduces financial and safety related issues is the inspection of infrastructure, such as powerlines. The inspection of high-voltage powerlines by UAS and related activities introduces potential risks related to electromagnetic (EM) fields, especially when encountering additional risk factors such as wind and wake vortices. Existing studies have focused on larger aircraft near airports and their wake impact on UAS. This study investigates the impact of wake vortices from various manned aircraft models, including the Boeing 747, 737, Cessna 172, Thrush 510G, Air Tractor AT502B, and several helicopters on UAS trajectory near high voltage powerlines. The primary focus is on assessing induced deviations in UAS paths and their effects on safety distances from powerlines where two approach encounters are considered: head-on and 90 degrees. In addition, the effect from a controller standpoint was studied by analyzing the attitude angle change rates (yaw, roll, and pitch). Results indicate that wake vortices, primarily those from larger aircraft in head-on encounters, do significantly influence UAS paths, necessitating careful path planning to avoid entering the EM unsafe boundary near powerlines.